Photo Credit: Olympics.com
For the first time, all ten million tickets to attend the Olympic Games are being sold through an online portal and pre-sale registration has been required to get a lottery timeslot to purchase tickets in a series of waves, the first of which took place in February 2023. A whopping total of 3.25 million tickets were sold in 158 countries across all sports in the first wave with all equestrian tickets selling out quickly. Some buyers in this phase were required to buy packages for multiple sports, to encourage people to attend less-popular events.
The second of the three phases of ticketing launched on May 11, and saw all available standard tickets for the equestrian disciplines sell out within 48 hours. By the end of the second day, more than a million total tickets for all sporting events were already gone.
The third phase will start at the end of 2023, when remaining tickets will be up for grabs. For those interested in vying for the chance to attend, the best way to keep up to date on ticketing is to register for an account on the main ticketing website. Another option will be through the Paris 2024 dedicated resale platform that is set to open in Spring 2024.
Canadian Equestrian fan Lynne Foster shows the maple leaf pride at the 2022 FEI World Championships in Herning, DEN
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
Ticket prices for the Games vary according to category, sport, or tournament round. For equestrian, prices range from €24 (about $35 CAD) for the lowest-priced seats on Dressage qualifying and Eventing Dressage days, to around $615 CAD for the top-price standard ticket for the individual showjumping final. For the full list, see this abridged version of ticketing prices highlighting the equestrian events. Ticket sales are expected to cover about a third of the overall cost of hosting the Games.
For tickets to watch Para Dressage competition, event goers have a little more time and slightly better odds. The 3.4 million tickets for the Paralympic Games will go on sale as of October 9, 2023.
To increase accessibility to the Games, every ticket purchaser is invited to donate €2. Funds collected will go to the French charity Secours populaire to provide those living in low-income households the chance to experience the Olympic and Paralympic Games first-hand.
Whether Canadian equestrians are planning to attend or watching from home, we can all look forward to seeing fans sporting their red and white and waving the maple leaf when the Games return to Paris in a little over 400 days!
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